One of the most powerful advantages of purchasing a virtual switchboard is that we can integrate any device that has an Internet connection, although the most common ones are: landline phones, smartphones and, of course, computers.

When we say integrate, we mean that all the calls received or made by an office can be made through these devices, without losing any functionality (call transfer, hold, recording, etc.) and that, furthermore, all the activity is recorded in the switchboard’s control panel so that we can analyse our performance.

After this brief interlude, we ask you: which combination works best for your business model? Today, we’ve made a list of pros and cons to test these three combinations:

1. VIRTUAL PBX WITH FIXED PHONES

To connect a fixed or portable terminal to a switchboard, it must first be a device that can connect to the Internet, i.e. an IP phone.

Advantages

• They are easy to use for employees who are not used to working with computers.
• You don’t have to worry about running out of battery power. They are always connected to the power supply.

Disadvantages

• They require hardware investment and maintenance. Standard IP phones cost between €45 and €90.
• If we want to facilitate hybrid working, we are limited unless we include other devices.
• It is usually difficult to add contacts to the phonebook.

2. VIRTUAL PBX WITH MOBILE PHONES

Contrary to what many people think, we can ensure that the quality of our calls does not suffer when we travel. Leading virtual switchboards allow us to integrate mobile phones with a SIM card if we prefer not to install applications on third party phones.

Advantages

• They are easy to carry, and we can use them to manage switchboard calls when we are away from the office.
• If your technical or sales team is out of the office, or if they travel a lot, they’re the ideal solution to ensure they don’t miss a call.
• During or after a call, it is very easy to save a contact.

Disadvantages

• They require investment and maintenance of hardware, as there are different ranges and models, the investment depends on these factors.
• Intensive use can drain the battery quickly, although using a SIM card does not consume as much as using an application.
• Call quality can deteriorate when there is no signal, such as when driving through a tunnel or in an underground car park.

3. VIRTUAL PBX WITH LAPTOPS

Both desktop and laptop computers can be part of your switchboard. Known in the business world as softphones, they allow us to manage calls from a web page or desktop application.

Advantages

• Facilitate hybrid and remote
• We can be much more agile in answering and making calls because it is a device we use for work.
• The screen size allows us to switch between calls, making it easier to manage simultaneous conversations.
• They can be integrated with other programs, usually CRMs, so that when a customer calls, the customer’s file is automatically loaded onto the computer, streamlining administrative processes.
• We can easily share our contact list with other colleagues.
• They usually display the status of internal contacts so you can see at a glance whether the person you want to talk to is free, on the phone or disconnected.
• Some virtual PBX programs include free video calling and chatting for employees to communicate.

Disadvantages

• They require hardware investment and maintenance, but they are essential tools for employees.
• You will need to buy a headset with a microphone to keep conversations private.
• Although laptops offer a little more mobility than desktop computers, it is a little difficult to answer calls when we are on the move.

FINAL VERDICT

We have already seen that each device has its advantages and disadvantages, so our recommendation is to take advantage of the combination of laptops and smartphones.

On the one hand, laptops are an essential work tool, so if we can use them to answer calls, we can avoid buying and maintaining unnecessary additional equipment. On the other hand, smartphones meet the need to be able to answer calls on the move.

What about fixed telephony? The duplication of telephone systems should be a thing of the past. The improvement of 5G speed and the evolution of smartphone features allows us to use any device in the same way.

If you want to be able to connect different devices to your switchboard, contact our team of experts to discover our virtual PBX. As well as all the advanced features you could wish for, it also has an integrated collaboration interface for making video calls, receiving chats and sharing files.

CONTACT US

La entrada Virtual PBX with phone, mobile or laptop? se publicó primero en Enreach ES.

For this reason, the rationalization of internal processes and the elimination of friction points in all functions of the contact center is becoming a strategic advantage. And a major operational pain point is the effort required to manage the physical and digital elements that employees use to get their jobs done every day.

IT asset management (ITAM) serves to ensure that assets are accounted for, deployed, maintained, updated and disposed of in a timely manner. That is, to guarantee that the valuable elements, tangible and intangible, of an organization, have follow-up or use.

Why Enterprise IT Asset Management Is Important

Because investing time and energy to standardize improves efficiency and productivity, employee skills, and helps ensure an organization is equipped to deliver differentiated CX that meets or exceeds customer expectations.

Furthermore, standardizing the management of these elements helps transform them into an efficient and integrated component of business operations. This integration reduces friction and improves execution of all your team goals that contribute to a great customer experience.

What Are The Benefits of Standardizing Asset Management? 

1) Up-to-date Information Ensures Fast Problem Resolution

If an organization has a structured information system with accurate and fully up-to-date hardware and software information, it is much easier and more efficient to manage employees. A single source of information for assets reduces friction points for faster problem resolution times, allowing agents to quickly return to their core responsibilities.

Similarly, including hardware contract management and digital assets (such as software licenses) in the system helps ensure that equipment and software applications are always compliant, under warranty, and in the best shape to help contact centers to serve customers.

Active license tracking also ensures that the software tools used to drive customer requests or extract data from different sources always work, and there is no risk of these tools causing operational difficulties due to compliance issues. This gives employees confidence that they are prepared to handle customer issues and queries.

2) Good Maintenance Reduces Downtime and Keeps Data Safer

In order to provide excellent customer service, it is imperative to ensure that your hardware devices are in optimal condition. Devices that are at high risk of malware infection, a component malfunction, or a lack of network communication can obstruct operations and eventually affect customers. Also, if such an incident occurs, you run the risk of losing critical data.

Implementing asset lifecycle management strategies for hardware helps maintain protocols for device maintenance and service. A complete system would include maintenance scheduling for critical hardware items according to guidelines and best practices established by the IT team.

Since these are significant IT investments, the team can also provide maintenance manuals, checklists, and asset maintenance guidelines, all of which can be centralized for easy access. Regular maintenance will improve its lifespan and eliminate any risk of unplanned downtime that could interrupt customer service or cause loss of important user data.

3) Standardized Processes Increase Efficiency

If an organization doesn’t create procedures for IT processes, employees are likely to spend a lot of time figuring out the processes on their own. Not only does this lead to errors, but it also keeps them tied up in IT issues and distracted from their core responsibilities.

To avoid this, you should use an effective system that includes standard processes for IT asset, endpoint security, configuration, and incident management. By offering standard procedures, employees will feel empowered to answer questions instead of waiting for an IT representative to help them. Standardized processes also help reduce your loss and theft, which lowers costs in the long run.

4) Unlocking Actionable Information

Tracking usage data of software and hardware items for compliance has an additional benefit: it forms the basis of actionable information. These include understanding which devices and software tools enable the best performance and customer service, which providers are most reliable, and which assets to purchase for longer life.

5) Maintaining Company and Employee Safety

Accurate tracking of software assets helps ensure compliance procedures are followed, thereby reducing the risk of external audits and cyber attacks. Disruption caused by an audit or cyber attack can slow down call center processes and, in the worst case, compromise users’ personally identifiable information.

Our Experience with Data Centers and Asset Management with Cloud Solutions: The Success Story Adam

At Enreach Spain we needed a partner that could offer us scalable and redundant data center solutions to expand capacity and locate infrastructure. Our biggest challenge was to be able to offer our clients a cloud communications model in a short period of time and in different geographical locations. This service required a very stable, redundant and scalable platform, capable of evolving at the same pace and in the same way that the market evolves.

So in less than a month, thanks to Adam, we implemented, on the one hand, a hosting solution for interconnection with operators, as well as redundant Internet connectivity, and, on the other hand, a customized cloud infrastructure solution that allowed us to allows us to grow at the pace required by our demand.

La entrada 5 Ways IT Asset Management Improves Customer and Employee Experiences se publicó primero en Enreach ES.